California holidays: Boat parades, light displays, festivals

By Marta Yamamoto

Correspondent

Posted:
12/02/2012 08:39:08 AM PST

Updated:
12/02/2012 08:39:15 AM PST

Across the state, communities have gotten into the Christmas groove, ready to celebrate the holidays with locals and visitors alike. Festivals and fairs, months in the planning, touch on Christmas past and present with a wide range of events guaranteed to warm even Scrooge-like hearts. North to south, California will be lit with twinkling lights and lavish displays, along the streets and on the water. Need a new holiday tradition? Here's a guide to traveling California for Christmas delights.

HOLIDAY FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

California Victorian Christmas: Downtown Nevada City slides back into 19th-century London with costumed street vendors, wandering minstrels and carolers, roasted chestnuts and yuletide treats and libations. Gaslight illuminates buildings festooned with lights, garlands and ribbons, Victorian-garbed participants and Father Christmas. Take a carriage ride through the streets, find a unique holiday treasure and share the holiday spirit.

Old Town Country Christmas: For the 26th year, the streets of Old Town Auburn have altered their 1850s Gold Rush atmosphere to bring out holiday spirit and fun. Crafters and artists display handmade goods, offering special, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts and old-time Christmas crafts. Shops welcome you with holiday open houses. Come for shopping and stay for pony rides and hayrides, strolling carolers, comfort food, lively entertainment and photo ops with Santa Claus.

A Simple elegant Christmas and Candlelight Tours: Sutter's Fort State Historic Park in Sacramento pays homage to a past when people from all over the world passed through its gates, bringing their holiday customs and traditions. Spend Saturday day viewing special live vignettes that depict 1840s holiday food, music and decorations from other cultures, then try your hand at dipping candles, making cornhusk dolls and crafting paper ornaments, aided by docents in period attire. In the evening, the fort turns to candlelight as it relates round-the-world stories of Christmases past.

Sausalito Winter Festival: Sausalito has planned an entire weekend of fun for the whole family to celebrate the festival's 25th anniversary. Friday night's Naughty o' Nice Ball under the Big Tent gets things rolling. Restaurants and wineries offer tastes of the season, along with live music and dancing. A full day is planned for Saturday, with local artists selling their wares and special children's activities, including face and ornament painting and cookie decorating. The Lighted Boat Parade takes place that night, followed by fireworks and a dance party.

A father lifts his child up for a better view at Balboa Park "December Nights" in San Diego. This shot was taken at the Organ Pavilion Stage. (Brent Altomare)

Julefest Celebration: Solvang, California's Little Denmark, turns back the clock for a series of holiday activities to ring in Christmas. On Friday, an evening tree-lighting ceremony includes live entertainment, caroling and Santa's arrival. The next day, a Sharing Holiday Cheer parade features Danish dancers, vintage vehicles and carriages, and animals on parade. On Dec. 15, the Nativity Pageant brings the Christmas story to life with live actors and choirs. Entertainment and open houses at many of Solvang's specialty boutiques will also be featured that day.

Fisherman's Wharf Lighted Boat Parade: More than 60 boats glowing with lights and decorations parade along the waterfront from Pier 39 to the Marina Green and back in San Francisco Bay's oldest, largest water parade. Check out restaurants along the route for traditional holiday fare.

Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade: All of Newport Harbor, including homes, docks, landscapes and yachts, is transformed in a holiday extravaganza with thousands of lights, animated Christmas scenes and holiday music for the annual lighted boat parade. View the100-plus-boats parade from shore or board one of several cruise ships to become part of the 14-mile parade and ogle decorated homes and estates.

Huntington Beach Cruise of Lights: Join in this year's theme of "Island Serenade" as you cruise the waterways that run through Huntington Beach. Pass illuminated, richly decorated homes, docks, decks and boats, all of which are reflected in the water. Watch thousands of lights twinkle amid dancing snowmen and animated displays on 45-minute narrated cruises.

San Diego Bay Parade of Lights: More than 80 boats participate in San Diego's 90-minute lighted boat parade, which is celebrating its 41st anniversary with the theme "USS Santa Claus." A fireworks display kicks off the event, then the parade leads off from Shelter Island.

Palo Alto Christmas Tree Lane: This marks the 72nd year that Fulton Street has created a Christmas wonderland, with lights and decorations that run the gamut from tasteful to whimsical. Strolling is the best way to take in red street lamps and a tiny Christmas tree in front of every house.

Details: 5-11 p.m. Dec. 8-31, www.christmastreelane.org. The lane is located on Fulton Avenue between Embarcadero Road and Seale Avenue.

Oxnard's Christmas Tree Lane: This storybook locale of an old, established neighborhood gleams for the holidays with lights and decorations. Everything from angels and elves to Smurfs and Festivus flash and entertain. Stroll or board a double-decker for a Holly Trolley Tour of the Historic Home District with hot chocolate and cookies.

Garden of Lights, The San Diego Botanic Garden: Walk through a fairy tale as more than 100,000 magical lights turn the garden into a winter wonderland complete with snow, roasting marshmallows over a wood fire, Santa in the gazebo, an array of poinsettias and a display of more than 50 nutcrackers. Enjoy performers, live music, draft horse wagon rides, hot beverages and treats.